The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-11-10
RANK BRAGGARDISM.
Republican Partisans Trying to Pose as
Political Saints

Political Saints
The Republican State Committee has
issued leaflets containing Il list of the
great deeds done by the party, presum-
ably unaided and alone. The follow
ing are, perhaps, the most conspicuous
and brilliant:
1t subdued the rebellion and saved the Union.
1t raised the Nation from bankruptcy. and Sc
cured for public credit The faith of the fiaan
cal world.
1t has practically given each citizen free
home by securing the public domain from the
monopoly of capital.
1t has made competency q condition of ap-
pointment to Office and fidelity to duty the ten
ure OF holding it.
These are only samples of large
line of heroic measures which consti-
tute the Republican demand for anoth-
er lease of power. 1t will be seen at
Il casual glance that the party Is COM
posed of all the professional saints in
population OF something over sixty
million people They regard them
selves as the only authorized agents
for the importation of political virtue
from the New Jerusalem, and have
formed combine to hold the article
for a rise of the market.
If we look little closely at the facts,
however, we find that these Republic
ans have not clear title to their claim.
They have the convenient faculty OF
forgetfulness, and, while wildly re-
calling certain parts of the evidence,
utterly disremember other parts
equally important. For example, when
they declare that they have "practi-
cally given each citizen free home by
securing the public domain from the
monopoly of capital we recall Baron
Munchausen, who had the same habit
of cxtolling himself for heroic achieve
ments which were all in his eye. The
cold, unfiinching records of history
show that the Republican party has
uniformly played into the hands of the
monopoly of capital" and deliberate
ly cheated nearly million and a half
of our citizens out of farms of one hun
dred and sixty acres each by giving over
two hundred million acres of the pub
lie domain to big corporations, cattle
syndicates, land spectators and aliens.
As to making competency condi-
ton of appointment to office and fidel-
ity to duty the tenure for holding it,
we rise to remark that Civil-Service
reform properly administered keeps
faithful servant of the public in office
regardless of his politics, but that on
the advent of Democratic Admins
tration and when the books were
looked over it was found that Demo-
Gratis holding even minor Offices were
as scarce as hens teeth. With the
rarest exceptions every position within
the gift OF the Government was held
by Republican partisan, whose sal
airy was assessed for political purposes
and whose position was used as a CEN
ter of political influence.
Well, let the Republicans go ahead
on their own line. They know what
they can do best, and since it is boast
ing, why, let them boast to their hearts
content This is n free country. and if
they can persuade the people to think
as much of them as they seem to think
of themselves, all right. Ours is
Government of the people. for the peo-
pie and by the people, and no one can
deny that the people are king.
The Republicans have no principles
to fight for, or if they have they con-
ceal them very successfully. What
the country needs and must have if it
is to be prosperous is an administra-
ton that represents the whole Repub-
lie from Maine to the Pacific and from
the lakes to the Gulf. Now, the Re-
publican party never has done that
1t was not born to do it 1t
is essentially a sectional party.
and never has been any thing
else. 1t has not only neglected the
millions of the South. but it never in
dorses party platform without ex-
pressing a suspicion of them Its busi-
ness at the present moment is not to
unite North and South. but to keep
them asunder. 1t is as plain rs pike
staff. therefore. that the next President